Lucas Museum of Narrative Art Opens Tuesday in Los Angeles: Over 40,000 Works, From Star Wars to Frida Kahlo

The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, founded by director George Lucas and his wife Mellody Hobson, opens its doors to the public on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, at Exposition Park in Los Angeles. Costing around $1 billion, it is the first major museum building of this decade.

The futuristic 300,000-square-foot building was designed by architect Ma Yansong of MAD Architects and sits on an 11-acre campus, with over 35 galleries, two cinemas, a free research library, a restaurant, a café and community spaces.

The permanent collection numbers over 40,000 works of narrative art — from prehistoric cave paintings to comics, illustration and cinema. Among them are works by Frida Kahlo, Norman Rockwell, John Singer Sargent, Thomas Hart Benton, Jack Kirby, R. Crumb, Alison Bechdel, Chris Ware, Banksy and Kadir Nelson.

A special section, Lucas Archives, preserves the complete archive of concept art, models, props and costumes from the six Star Wars films (1971–2012). The inaugural exhibition, titled “The History of Narrative Art: Heroes • Myths • The Sacred”, brings over 1,300 exhibits.

At the press pre-opening ceremony on September 2, Lucas said: “This is a big celebration for us, because it took so long… I felt very strongly the need to honour illustrators.” His wife, Mellody Hobson, described the project as “a museum by the people, for the people.”

Source: Reuters